Chapter Fourteen: Bargaining

Chapter 14: Bargaining

Hermione's dash to the dungeons was forestalled by Harry and Ron, who met her as she was jogging past the staircase to the West Tower.

"Oi, Hermione! Wait up!" called Ron.

"What is it, boys? I'm in rather a hurry," she puffed.

"We heard a rumour," Harry began.

"You and Snape..." continued Ron.

"... In front of the third years."

"Tell us it's not true!"

"Surely, even you two have some sense of restraint?" Harry asked, unwilling to believe the snippet of information Padma Patil had told her twin.

"Clearly not," she replied abruptly. "Don't wait for me. I have to stop my husband killing a few overtalkative Ravenclaws! And stop talking like Fred and George used to. It's disrespectful!"

As they watched their friend heading down to the dungeons, Ron turned to the Boy Who Gawped. "You know, Harry, I'm not sure whether I should be disgusted they actually did that, embarrassed for 'Mione because they were caught, or just plain envious they are getting so much damn sex!"

Harry was still processing the facts. "She did it? It wasn't a rumour? She and Snape...?"

Ron took his friend by the elbow and guided him toward the Great Hall. "Don't think about it, Harry. Come and have some lunch; you'll feel better after you've eaten."

"She did it...?"

Arriving outside the classroom door, Hermione peeked in to find the room empty. Severus's office was likewise vacant, and a quick check of their quarters was unproductive.

"Damn the man. The one time I would rather he was running late for lunch, he has to find his appetite," she muttered to herself as she began the long trek back up to the Great Hall.

In an eerie replay of the previous Wednesday morning, the din that greeted her suddenly hushed as she opened the door into the Hall. Hundreds of pairs of eyes followed her as she walked casually over to seat herself at the Gryffindor table, having noted the absence of her partner in crime at the other end of the room. Where Severus had disappeared to she had no idea, but she was not about to give the watching masses any satisfaction by appearing embarrassed.

"Did you find him?" whispered Ginny.

"No. He's not in the classroom, his office, or our quarters. I assumed he would be here," Hermione replied, watching the staff table out of the corner of her eye.

"Are you looking for someone, Madam Snape?" The low murmur between the two girls startled them both.

"Would you mind not doing that, Professor!" admonished Ginny. "I nearly jumped two feet off the bloody bench."

"Where have you been? Do you realise the whole school knows about this morning?" Hermione hissed.

"Miss Boot, I presume?" His scowl at the Ravenclaw table caused more than one forkful of food to drop unnoticed from suddenly nerveless hands.

"You couldn't have put on a show for a more vocal student," Ginny teased.

"I know that... now! And there was no intent to put on any sort of show, Ginevra. We just..."

"Got carried away in the heat of the moment. Yeah, sure. I'll bet that excuse has been used thousands of times before. Well, you two need a good smack. Those kids are thirteen! They didn't need a demonstration of the sexual habits of their elders."

To the astonishment of the nearby Gryffindors, who had been eagerly listening to the exchange, Professor Severus Snape, instead of deducting untold amounts of points from Ginny Weasley, sheepishly hung his head. "I know. Sorry, miss. It won't happen again." He continued in a low voice, "Well, not without locking the door, anyway." Lifting his head, he smirked at Ginny, who was smiling. "May I take my wife now? I think I might need her protection while we eat."

"Feel free." Ginny gestured magnanimously. "Off you go, Hermione. His need is greater than ours."

Hermione rolled her eyes at her husband's and friend's antics and giggled as she noticed the dumbfounded stares of her other friends. Taking Severus by the hand, she declared, "Once more unto the breach, dear husband!"

"Have you no shame, woman?" he whispered as they crossed the Hall.

"Like I said last week, Severus. Give them nothing!"

"I'm beginning to wonder whether Umbridge would have been the safer option. Minerva's going to kill us," Severus muttered as the stern glare of the headmistress greeted them at the staff table.

"Trust me, Severus. She's my Head of House. I know how she thinks." In truth, a little anxiety fluttered inside her chest, but Hermione hoped the older witch's compassionate streak would prove dominant.

"Good afternoon, Professor McGonagall," she began. "I... we... It wasn't intentional..." Hermione broke off as she noted the glint of humour in the headmistress's eye.

"From what I just saw, I suspect Miss Weasley has said all that is necessary. Am I to believe neither of you were actually unclothed during the incident?" the older witch asked.

"Of course not, Minerva!" Severus's normally smooth expression faltered as he considered the fallout had they removed any clothing.

"And do I have your assurance this episode will never be repeated?"

"We promise, Professor McGonagall," Hermione replied.

"Good. Now, I suggest you two children ensure doors are locked and warded before you participate in any further amorous interludes. We do not want the students thinking that sort of behaviour is acceptable."

"Yes, Minerva. Point taken," agreed Severus.

"Have some pie, Hermione. It really is delicious." McGonagall's change of subject was gratefully welcomed by the chastised couple as they filled their plates and began replenishing some of the energy they had expended earlier.

Over the next two weeks Hermione found herself caught in a strange limbo between adolescence and adulthood. In Arithmancy, Septima Vector carefully addressed her as Madam Snape, appearing uncomfortable with her newly elevated status within the school. In Charms, however, Filius Flitwick still chatted to her amiably as always, referring to her as 'my dear child,' as if she was still a fresh-faced first year.

Professor Le Blanc alone appeared unmoved by her marriage to his colleague. The Frenchman had only ever known her as an adult student and war heroine, after all.

Nights were spent in the arms of her husband, their mutual passion, and imagination, seemingly boundless. The contrast of his occasional boyish diffidence warring with his almost overwhelming masculine power had bewitched her completely. The Professor Snape of her Potions classroom was a completely different wizard, or at least she endeavoured to think of him that way lest they had a repeat of their previous embarrassing incident.

A change which concerned her, however, was the realisation that, with the exception of the boys, Neville, Ginny, and Luna, her classmates had become a little standoffish.

"Ginny, why was it when I was merely engaged to Severus, I was a curiosity, but still me, and now we are married they are avoiding me?" she asked after dinner while they were lounging in a quiet corner of the adult students' common room.

"You are sleeping with their Potions professor, Hermione. It's going to take a while for them to realise you aren't sharing all their little secrets down there in the dungeons."

"Pssht. As if I didn't have anything better to do than talk about their private lives."

"I know that. You know that. Hell, even the boys know that. It just might take the others a while to realise they just aren't as interesting as a sexy, naked husband," Ginny explained.

"Hey! I told you not to think about my husband naked!" Hermione grinned as Ginny poked out her tongue.

"Talking about sexy, naked husbands, why are you up here talking to me so often in the evenings instead of pouncing on Severus?"

"Oh, I thought I would give him some space. He can't be that happy about sharing his quarters with a nineteen-year-old. Even if the sex is great. I like to give him a few hours each evening to himself."

"Do you think that's a good idea? He might think you don't want to spend time with him. Have you actually asked him whether he wants you to leave him alone?" Ginny remembered Severus's obvious insecurity before the ceremony. "You know, perhaps I should take up his invitation and visit you both tomorrow night?"

"I suppose the last few evenings he has been a little quiet when I've returned. Oh, gods, Ginny. What if I've hurt his feelings? That's the last thing I want to do. It's so hard to know how he feels about me. He's so attentive and tender in bed, and we certainly get on well out of it, but I really don't know what's going on in that secretive mind of his." Hermione slumped back onto the couch, anxiety eating away at her carefully contrived peace of mind.

"Hermione? Can I ask you something?" Ginny's soft question met with a nod from her best friend. "How do you feel about him now?"

"I... I... think I love him. I know it still seems too soon, but whenever I'm with him I just feel so complete. His face is ugly to some, but I find it just perfect. We can talk about anything, and he listens to my opinion even if he disagrees. His voice, his touch... Am I crazy to hope he will someday feel the same about me?"

"Too soon? Hermione, you've known each other for over seven years. I know you have always respected him, even when the rest of us were less than willing to do so. You've often said you admire his intelligence, loyalty, and dedication, and when we all thought he'd turned to the dark side, you were the only one who seemed surprised and upset. Upset because you couldn't believe that of him."

"You make it sound like I've had a crush on him for years, but I haven't," Hermione argued.

"No, I didn't mean that. Before the article about the Marriage Law came out in the Prophet a month ago, you were not strangers. You've had a lot of common experiences and share many values. It's just you'd never thought of him in that way before. It's really no wonder you have fallen for him with the added incentive of living together and having spectacular sex every night!" Ginny's smile was gentle as Hermione considered her words.

"You're right, Gin. I've never thought of it that way before. But how do I know how he feels? How do I find out what he wants?"

"Talk to him. Take a risk. Show him how you feel, even if you don't feel up to expressing it in words yet. Spend time with him." Ginny hugged her friend and sent her on her way. "Go. Have faith!"

"Hi."

"Good evening. I see you have seen fit to join me tonight." Severus's tone was sharper than he had intended. Hermione's seeming interest in only the physical side of their marriage had begun to erode at his newly-won confidence in his own appeal. Her barely-concealed flinch almost brought an apology to his lips. However, he softened and patted the couch beside him in invitation. "Come here, wife."

"I'm sorry, Severus. I know it must seem as if I've been avoiding your company during the evening, but I thought you would need some time without me underfoot." She relaxed a little as he drew her close to his side.

"Whatever made you think that, woman?"

"You did," she replied.

"I did?"

"When you first agreed to accept my petition. You wanted us to live separately and not to have 'a teenage witch's belongings cluttering up my living quarters,' if I remember correctly." Despite her resolution not to be a silly, emotional girl, tears threatened to spill onto her cheeks.

"And even after all that occurred over the next two weeks, you still thought I felt the same?"

"You never told me any different, Severus," she replied with asperity. "You make love to me with your body until I cry with the wonder of it all, but I have no idea how you really feel in here." Hermione placed a hand over the centre of his chest, feeling the rapid thud of his heartbeat beneath her fingertips.

He studied her upturned face for long moments and then kissed her tears away as his own eyes glinted suspiciously. "Perhaps we both need to express ourselves better. I admit I am guilty of holding my emotions in check, but I plead uncertainty. I know what I think I feel, but it would not be fair to you to make any declarations until I am completely sure. In turn, my dear wife, I am unsure as to your expectations and feelings towards me."

His deep, liquid voice resonated within Hermione's mind as she held him close and kissed his eyes dry in turn. "I care for you very much, Severus. I can't imagine being without you in my life, my bed, and my heart. If that is what love brings, then I am home. I've longed to spend evenings curled up by your side as we are now or simply working alongside each other or talking, but I was unsure of my role in your life."

"My silly, little know-it-all. Your place is right here with me. Whilst I'm sure in due course you will have times when you are tired of my ill-temper, and no doubt your need to ask questions will likewise pall occasionally, at the moment I'm quite enjoying having a beautiful, intelligent witch to keep me company."

"I don't suppose the occasional offering of fellatio would go amiss, either," Hermione suggested, trying to lighten the mood as she reached down to unbutton her husband's trousers. "Have you never heard of a zip?"

"Ah, but what would be the challenge in that?" he replied, leaning back to give her better access.

"None whatsoever," she murmured as she finally freed him from the confines of his underwear. "Mmm. Ready for action, I see."

"Always, with you around, my sweet. Uncomfortably so in your Potions class, I might add."

"Really?" she asked after taking a long taste from base to tip. "You stalk around the class with an erection?"

"I don't stalk. I glide."

"Glide. If you say so, dear. Mmm. I could get into the habit of this." Swirling her tongue over his most sensitive areas while stroking his inner thighs, Hermione grinned at the expression of abandon on her wizard's face. Returning to the topic of Potions class, she added, "It's no wonder you wear robes all the time. Minerva would have a fit if she knew what was going on beneath all those layers. Although I do have a request." She had stopped to watch his face while she spoke.

"Anything," he growled. "Just carry on with what you were doing!"

"Anything?" She finally took him into her mouth as he nodded. After several minutes of sucking, licking, and kissing him into near oblivion, she pulled back with a soft pop. "I want you to come to the next Potions class naked under your robes. I want to imagine your cock, hard as steel, rubbing against the fabric as you walk around the room. I want to feel it press up against my back as you inspect my potion, and I want to know when the last student has left the room I can take it into my mouth and make you come so hard you'll think your mind has imploded. After locking and warding the door, of course." With that, she reapplied her mouth to his eager body and in very short order had her husband shouting her name as he spilled his climax down her throat.

"You, my dear, drive a hard bargain," he growled, exchanging places and unzipping her jeans.

"At least I'm considerate enough to use zips," she retorted.

Drawing her knickers down with her jeans, Severus feasted his eyes on the sight of his wife's obvious arousal. "Wicked wench gets all hot and bothered having her way with me," he murmured as he took his first taste.

"I don't deny it. Ahh... nice... Giving you fellatio is an extremely erotic experience. Mmm... Why did you stop?" Hermione pouted as her husband sat back and smirked.

"A condition of my own. Next Potions class, you will wear no knickers. I want you to feel the cloth of your skirt brushing against your curls. I want to imagine how very wet you are becoming as you think of me. I want you to throb deep inside when I press my aching cock into your back. I want to know I can thrust into you after the classroom is empty and make you scream my name as you come undone. After the locking and warding, of course."

"Anything. Just get your damned Slytherin tongue back where it belongs. Now!"

He chuckled as his lioness issued her orders and concentrated on turning her into a quivering mass of jelly by use of said Slytherin tongue.

Much later, she whispered into his chest, "You do realise we can't fulfil any of those fantasies in the Potions classroom, don't you, Severus?"

"Mmm," he murmured, half asleep. "Minerva would give us both detentions."

"No. I meant it would be far too dangerous to be that distracted while the class is brewing complicated potions."

"Pity."

Prompt: 1. Something Old. The Marriage Law Challenge. Many thanks to karelia for the beta.